Customer Reviews

In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God

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When the openly gay priest Gene Robinson consented to his election as the ninth Anglican bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in 2003, he chose to become both the lightening rod and the standard bearer of the most controversial issue in Christianity today. That's why he wore a bullet-proof vest at the ceremony and why bomb-sniffing dogs cleared the building. Never again will he be just another bishop or a mere private citizen, despite his complaints about being labeled a single-issue priest. He knows that he will "never again be in a 'small room.' Because of the high level of media attention, followed by the close scrutiny of those who oppose me, I'm never in a trusting, safe environment where I can let my guard down. Someone is always watching and will use anything I say against me" (46).

Whether by Robinson's choice or unfortunate necessity, in this book you learn precious little of the personal from this very public figure. He does mention in passing his roots in a poor, uneducated, and deeply Christian family in rural Kentucky where his parents were tenant farmers; his first marriage by which he had two children; his treatment for alcohol dependence; and his twenty-year commitment with his current partner Mark Andrews. But all these are brief mentions. True to his word, he never lets his guard down. If you want to learn more about Gene Robinson the man you'll do better starting at the Wikipedia article. Perhaps my expectations before reading this book were misplaced, but in my own experience the power of personal story far surpasses the tedium of theological wrangling. I wanted to learn more about Gene Robinson's personal story.

The twenty-three short chapters in 175 pages treat a broad panoply of Christian themes, many of which read more like unedited sermons than successive chapters in a book. For example, a chapter on the Good Samaritan is followed by a four-page chapter on why for Christians "religion and politics must mix," which is followed by an anecdotal chapter about a trip to Hong Kong. Even when he speaks about gays in the church the treatment is so short for such complex issues that I found it frustrating. Just what, for example, are the implications pro and con of separating the civil rights of marriage by the state and the Christian rites of blessing a marriage by the church?

This book and Robinson's many public interviews about it were timed to coincide with and maximize exposure of the global Anglican church's summer 2008 Lambeth Conference that gathers all its bishops every ten years -- and from which Robinson has been excluded as an official participant but invited in a "diminished status" (168); and his decision to marry his partner Mark Andrews in a June 2008 civil union that will then be blessed in his church. That's not a bad thing for a person who's leading an important cause. But this book will attract readers more because of who wrote it than what he says. In my own reflections of Christian gays I was more deeply influenced by Mel White's Stranger at the Gate; To Be Gay and Christian in America (New York: Plume, 1994); Carol Curoe and Robert Curoe, Are There Closets in Heaven? A Catholic Father and a Lesbian Daughter Share Their Story (Minneapolis: Syren Book Company, 2007); and then the documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) about five Christian families whose gay children went public -- one of whom is none other than Gene Robinson.

In the Eye of the Storm is a worthwhile read, but it is too broad on many topics. I realize that Robinson does not want to be pegged as the "gay bishop", but y'ar, my dear, but y'ar. I found his discussions of full inclusion for all to be good, but there was little new that I hadn't been exposed to before. For me, the most powerful part of the book was the last chapters, where Robinson talks about the need to live in communion with all those who agree and disagree. That is reinvigorating for those who have to face "the enemy" on a regular basis. But there is little new.

On the plus side, I feel that Robinson uses this book to explain who he is and what the stuff is that he is made of. After reading In the Eye of the Storm, I have gained respect for a man who has to fight for all that he has. I don't agree with him on all points, but I do very deeply respect him.

I appreciate Rev. Gene Robinson being willing to share his story about his victory over incredible hurdles in the Presbyterian church. This book shows his forgiveness, compassion and understanding of the "other side" of the gay issue. He speaks with great love for those who have tried to prevent him from being ordained in the church. His journey is inspiring and his life is a testament to all that God can do with a committed vessel.

A wonderful book by a very godly person. It was inspirational all the way through.

We read the book "Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson" written about him and were impressed by this man. Reading the book BY him, makes you wonder why we didn't hear about him sooner.

His life and his values are something for anyone to try to live up to, straight of LGBT!

Gene Robinson's book is a must read for people of all circumstances. He compassionately tells his story and that of his Biblical understanding with regard to the love Jesus came to tell of and asked us to live out.
Before you draw conclusions or are held back by preconceived notions about this subject, please read the "human" side of this devout, deeply Christian man.
Robinson lives out his faith and accepts the challenges he has been given as a child of God. This is a call for us to make our way into a more compassionate response to this and others who seek to live out their faith as God has called them and us to do.

Gene Robinson is known worldwide for one thing - his sexuality - and this book seeks to show that his ministry is rather more than just being part of the storm over gay priests in the Anglican church. The book is a series of reflections on different aspects of ministry, not offered in any particularly logical order but growing out of his experiences as a priest and then bishop over three decades. It's not an autobiography and there are many parts of his life alluded to but not really explained; instead he uses the pages to show how people's attitudes towards gay and lesbian people can be similar to those towards women, non-whites and disabled people, and how difficult it is to know, if we are part of a majority group, what it's like to be in the minority and how hard it can be to be treated fairly.

What's remarkable about the book is the way in which Gene Robinson does not come across as bitter against his many detractors; he sees his ministry as the most important and overriding thing, such as in the local women's prison where he is a regular visitor. The final chapter, discussing the forthcoming Lambeth concert in 2008, is a plea for those in the church to genuinely listen to lesbian and gay members but is a plea that appears to have fallen on deaf ears. This is a sobering and at times moving book which doesn't really seek to discuss the issue of homosexuality and the Bible per se, but more looks at congregations in the church, Jesus's words that all are welcome, the difficulties for homosexual people within the church and the need for genuine discussion about the issues.

No matter what one's personal feelings are about the ordination of an openly gay bishop, I believe that it is important for each of us to know something about the life and beliefs of the man who is at the center of the controversy in the Episcopal Church. This book reveals Bishop Robinson's strong, Biblically based faith which has led him to a life of love and service, including outreach to the disenfranchised. He has shown the remarkable ability to understand and forgive his enemies, many of whom are within the church.
I have reviewed and recommended this book for my own parish and for friends and relatives. I am a grandmother and long-time Episcopalian.

Gene Robinson has been a beacon of kindness and pastoral leadership throughout his career as a clergyman. His standing as a bogeyman is as suspect as they come, however. This autobiography reveals the grace that has guided a courageous person who seeks to nudge us to our common compassion.

Gene Robinson's book answers many questions about his life and his calling as a bishop in the Episcopal Church. He is a gentle man with a rare sense of humor. I was present (and voted for him) at General Convention. I recommend this short book (it's only 174 pages!) to those who are willing to listen to what it is like for a gay man in a monogamous relationship in the church.